No. 87
Editorial Note
The French Ambassador came to the Department of State on July 24 to inform Byroade that the French felt strongly that the Middle East Defense Organization must have a formalized type of central direction which should come from the members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Standing Group. Byroade answered that the Arabs would probably have much less interest in the organization if it appeared that the United States, United Kingdom, and France were retaining sole direction. (Memorandum of conversation, July 24; 780.5/7–2452) On August 1, the Counselor [Page 277] of the French Embassy called at the Department of State to inform the Department that the French position on the central direction of the MEDO seemed firm and unlikely to be altered under any conditions. (Memorandum of conversation, August 1; 780.5/8–152)
On August 15, an officer of the French Embassy handed the Department of State a copy of an aide-mémoire presented by the French to the British Government in answer to the British Middle East Defense Organization proposal of August 11, which was the same as the text transmitted in telegram Secto 24, Document 79. (780.5/6–1652) The French aide-mémoire was discussed at a joint meeting of representatives of the Departments of State and Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff on August 26, at which the Department of State was informed that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were fundamentally opposed to having the NATO Steering Group function for the MEDO. (For the minutes of this meeting, see the memorandum of conversation by Daspit, Document 84.)